Pei Wei finds going tough in crowded Folsom market

The food at Pei Wei might be good, but the same can't be said for business. "Things have been pretty slow," said Vic Zucco, Pei Wei's general manager. "Nobody knows who we are."Although the P.F. Chang's-owned Asian diner opened Oct. 8, Pei Wei has struggled to find the same success its parenting restaurant has achieved in places like Roseville. But Zucco believes it's only a matter of time. "The center is still being developed," he said. "I think once they finish the buildings around us, once we get the rest of this shopping center built, things are going to get better. When we get the Kaiser and the mall across the street, we'll be in full swing."In the meantime, Zucco and his staff have reached out to the community in an effort to make Pei Wei a household name."P.F. Chang's does enough to support us," he said. "But I do grassroots stuff, too."Zucco has personally delivered menus and gift cards to various hotels and businesses in the area and caters luncheons at Intel. He believes going the extra mile will help Pei Wei find its niche in a city already inundated with Asian cuisine-inspired restaurants.Further down Iron Point in the very same shopping center, Fat's Asia Bistro and Dim Sum Bar has established itself as a popular location for hungry diners, while eateries like Panda Express, China House, Sunny Garden, Rice Express, and Mongolian Grill have become Folsom fan favorites.But Zucco believes Pei Wei will attract a different kind of crowd. "We're definitely more of an in-and-out type of place," Zucco said. "But the idea is for people get in, get good, quality food, and back to work or whatever they need to do."The idea of quick and easy Asian food creates an easy comparison to Panda Express, a comparison Zucco was quick to dispel."We cook every dish to order," he said. "The quality of our food is way better. You get P.F. Chang's quality here in just a few minutes. We just finally figured out how to get it all done fast."According to Zucco, everything served at Pei Wei is fresh. From meat that is hand-cut daily to crisp produce, Zucco believes the freshness and quality of the food give Pei Wei an edge."It's hard for other places to compete with our quality," he said. "And I think we're making a good impression. Not many people leave here disappointed. We've had very few complaints."Steve and Linda McClaine were two customers who went to Pei Wei seeking a fast and tasty dinner and definitely didn't leave disappointed."Some friends recommended we come here," said Steve. "I like it.""It's a pretty nice place," Linda said. "We really enjoy the food. It's good and it's fast, which is great because we're on our way to see a movie."And for Zucco, there's no higher compliment than that.